North East Lincolnshire Council’s licensing team and Humberside Police have carried out a joint operation, spot checking sixteen random taxis.

38 drivers were checked, alongside the condition of their vehicle, as well as their licence, insurance, tyres, lights and vehicle tax.

Licensing enforcement teams checked all drivers and general condition of the vehicles while Humberside Police checked the vehicles condition, tyres and lights. The following issues were found during the inspections on the evening of Friday, 13 December:

• 1 was immediately suspended for having a tyre under the legal limit
• 1 driver was not carrying his badge
• 1 hackney bubble was not working
• 1 unoccupied parked on double yellow lines – driver was working in a take away.
• 1 so dirty you could not see door signs or number plate
• 1 where the plate was attached to the rear of the vehicle that was dangerous – removed by police officer at the time.
• 3 seen that were quite dirty and required new door signs.

Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities at NE Lincs Council said: “These are great results from an evening of inspections by Humberside Police and our Licensing Enforcement Team.

“Hackney Carriage drivers need to be aware of the rules they need to follow and should do so accordingly.”

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Despite expressing reluctance, Bedford Borough Council's General Licensing Committee has approved a significant increase in fees for taxi and private hire vehicle licences, effective March 2025.

The decision, made on 12 December, follows a four-year period without a fee adjustment. Licence fees for drivers and vehicles are set to increase by varying percentages, with some categories seeing a substantial 21.65% rise.

Councillor Leigh Coombs (Lib Dems, Shortstown) acknowledged the necessity of cost recovery but expressed concern about the impact on drivers and ultimately, residents. He emphasised the potential for these increased costs to be passed on to passengers, adding further burden to local residents.

Councillor Lucy Bywater (Green, Castle and Newnham) echoed Coombs' concerns, stating that while the increase was unavoidable, it would be "uncomfortable" for drivers. She strongly opposed the alternative of having council taxpayers shoulder the financial burden, deeming it "morally wrong."

The committee emphasised that the council cannot profit from these fees and is obligated to balance any surplus or deficit over a three-year period.

The approved fee increases include:

• 3-year driver licence (new): £427 (21.65% increase)
• 3-year driver licensce (renewal): £381 (8.54% increase)
• 3-year dual driver licence (new): £427 (12.69% increase)
• 3-year dual driver licence (renewal): £381 (0.7% increase)
• 1-year hackney carriage vehicle licence: £265 (3.92% increase)
• 1-year private hire vehicle licence: £265 (8.6% increase)

The General Licensing Sub Committee will now review any objections to the proposed fee increases.

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Taxi drivers licensed by Mid Sussex District Council will soon be required to accept card payments from customers, following a decision made at a recent full council meeting.

The decision comes after an eight-week public consultation and aims to address concerns raised by residents regarding the safety and convenience of cash-only transactions.

The council also voted to remove the cap on the number of hackney carriages licensed in the district, a move intended to increase the availability of wheelchair-accessible taxis.

A council report highlighted a significant number of complaints received regarding drivers refusing card payments, citing public safety concerns.

While some drivers expressed concerns about connectivity issues in rural areas and potential cash flow problems associated with card payments, councillors ultimately agreed that the current licensing policy needed to be updated.

Since 2002, the council has limited the number of licensed hackney carriages to 154, with only 31 currently equipped to accommodate wheelchair users.

However, even with the removal of the cap, the shortage of wheelchair-accessible taxis may persist due to the self-employed nature of taxi drivers.

The majority of taxi work in the district is concentrated around the three main railway stations, limiting the flexibility and availability of drivers for residents in more rural areas.

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A couple who ran a taxi firm in Dawlish, Devon, have been publicly named after having their licences revoked by Teignbridge District Council.

Michael Miller and Grace Miller, who jointly operated the cab firm Grab A Cab, lost their hackney carriage proprietor and driver licences following a series of complaints alleging aggressive and abusive behaviour, threats and intimidation.

Teignbridge Council Licensing and Regulatory Committee revoked the licences in September, concluding that the Millers no longer met the "fit and proper" criteria for operating a taxi business.

The couple faced numerous complaints from the public, customers, police officers and other taxi drivers, ranging from minor infractions to more serious allegations.

Despite previous fines, warnings and prosecutions, the committee determined that the Millers had consistently disregarded rules and regulations, demonstrating a "blatant disregard" for the law and the safety of the public.

A spokesperson for Teignbridge Council emphasised that all complaints to the licensing authority are taken seriously and that enforcement action is taken when necessary.

The decision to revoke the licences was upheld at an appeal hearing, where the committee heard evidence of complaints dating back to 2020.

The licensing authority's report highlighted the couple's "repeated disregard for the rules" and expressed concern over the numerous allegations of aggressive and abusive behaviour.

The report concluded that the Millers' actions fell "well below that expected of someone responsible for upholding the safety of the general public."

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A leading eco-friendly electric taxi company based in central London is driving forward with its ambitious growth plans and opening a new local community hub, after securing a £1.6m asset refinance deal.

Sherbet Electric Taxi Company, which is committed to reducing London’s carbon footprint, is now aiming to treble the size of its business in the next 12 months through a range of mergers and acquisitions, after receiving the asset finance facility from Reward Funding.

The injection of working capital has helped the firm navigate the opening of its new flagship headquarters in Camden earlier this year and further expand its 450-strong fleet of electric taxis.

With Reward providing asset-secured funding to help businesses thrive, Sherbet is also utilising the finance to transform part of its new headquarters into a café and community hub that will launch in January.

In addition to being open 24/7 for the licensed taxi community to improve the support infrastructure for drivers, the café will also welcome anyone locally who may be feeling vulnerable or simply needing access to a safe place.

Sherbet is owned by experienced business leader Asher Moses, who has dedicated over 20 years to driving innovation across London’s iconic black taxis. He first became a licensed hackney carriage driver in 1989 and went on to acquire small fleets of vehicles to begin the journey towards establishing Sherbet as a market leader.

Asher also spearheaded the first credit and debit card payments for the London taxi trade in the early 1990s and played a key role in the commercialisation of taxi vehicle advertising.

He is now fully committed to driving the green agenda and supporting Transport for London’s strategy to tackle pollution across the capital.

Asher Moses commented: “Our growth plans have really accelerated in the last 12 months due to growing corporate demand for greener transport solutions, the expansion of our electric vehicle fleet and the opening of our new headquarters.

"We’ve also decommissioned 250 diesel powered vehicles to completely decarbonise our entire fleet and invested greatly in supporting Transport for London and its target to eliminate emissions across the capital.

“As more companies turn to us to help reduce their carbon footprint and meet their ESG targets, we needed an agile finance solution from Reward to ensure we continue to seize this market opportunity and don’t stand still as a business.

"We’re now looking forward to opening the new community hub in the new year and aiming to treble in size through a range of strategic mergers and acquisitions that stay true to our overall values and vision.”

The deal between Sherbet Electric Taxi Company and Reward Funding was brokered by Chris Brown, MD of Ethos Asset Finance.

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